


A Muggle-Born Wizard

by mysid



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 13:56:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8535826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysid/pseuds/mysid
Summary: Davy Hollerith's life takes an unexpected twist the day an owl delivers a letter and his neighbor Sirius Black comes to visit.





	1. The Letter

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Black Shadow](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/240904) by CLS. 



> I wanted to tell the story of a muggle-born witch or wizard getting into Hogwarts, and Davy Hollerith came to mind. Davy and his family were created by CLS for her story “Black Shadow.” Many thanks to CLS for allowing Davy to come over to my house to play. Sirius's family in this story is also consistent with CLS's story. Please excuse the canon violation in regard to Sirius's family, but both stories were written before OotP came out.
> 
> If you wonder why I merely tease you with the character of Uncle Mick—sorry, but you’ll have to read “Black Shadow” to meet him. It’s a wonderful story about how Sirius got his flying motorcycle. (But read it after this story, it will work out better chronologically.)
> 
> This story was originally written under my other penname, JKLB.
> 
> Sirius Black and his world belong to J.K. Rowling.

“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore.” Davy Hollerith reread the strange letter silently as he sat on the back step. He had read it countless times since it had arrived earlier that afternoon. His mother had dismissed it as a silly practical joke and forgotten about it, but Davy couldn’t dismiss it as easily. It wasn’t that he believed the letter to be from a real school—how could it be? “Witchcraft and Wizardry”—there were no such things. No, Davy was puzzled because he couldn’t think of anyone he knew who could have dreamt up this letter, “Other equipment: 1 wand, 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2),” and carried out creating it. Some one had gone to a lot of trouble to obtain parchment, green ink, purple sealing wax, and a seal with a strange coat of arms.

“…and I’ll be swamped tomorrow. Everyone always wants to get their car fixed on Saturday.” Davy heard his parents talking in the kitchen behind him. His father had just finished work in his car repair shop next door and was now having a late supper.

“But you’ll be home for supper, won’t you?” his mother asked anxiously. “Mick will be here sometime in the afternoon.” Davy smiled at this. Mick was his mother’s brother and his favorite uncle. His visits were sporadic, but usually memorable.

“I’ll come home when my work’s done,” his father grumbled, and then more gently, “but, yeah, I should be home late afternoon. That’s why I did extra tonight. Davy?”

“Yes, Dad?”

“I want you to help me out tomorrow morning. You’ll be done before your uncle gets here.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The sun had set a half an hour earlier, and Davy suddenly shivered as an evening breeze stroked the back of his neck. He stood up to go back inside but paused as he saw movement near the trees at the edge of the back garden. A man, a woman, and a boy about Davy’s age, were emerging from the trees and walking toward the house.

“Hi! Are you David?” the boy called.

“Yeah, I’m Davy.” He felt apprehensive, but didn’t know why. The black-haired boy looked slightly familiar, and Davy thought that he might have seen him in the village.

“I’m Sirius,” the boy said with a grin as he and the two adults reached the back step. Although Davy was on the step and the other boy was standing below, they were standing eye to eye. Davy was just about to ask what the boy was serious about when the man spoke.

“Hi, Davy. We’re Mr. and Mrs. Black.” The tall man extended his hand to Davy, and after a moment’s hesitation, Davy shook it. “Are your parents home?”

“Who is it, Davy?” said his father. Davy turned to see him standing behind the screen door.

“Dad, these are Mr. and Mrs. Black,” he said, and then realizing that the boy had introduced himself, he added, “and this is Serious.” Davy thought that this was the strangest name he had ever heard. Davy’s father merely nodded in greeting and did not open the door.

“We’ve never formally met,” Mrs. Black said to Davy’s father, “but we’re neighbors of yours. We live on the outskirts of the village. We’ve come to talk with you about Hogwarts. My husband and I are alumni, and Sirius is going into his second year in the fall.”

Davy quickly looked down at the letter in his hand and then at the grinning Serious. He realized that his mouth was hanging open and closed it with a snap. This practical joke was getting even more interesting.

“What’s Hogwarts?” Davy’s father asked in a weary tone.

Davy saw Mr. and Mrs. Black look at each other, and he felt the need to explain. “My dad just got home from work and hasn’t seen the letter yet,” he said quickly. If this was a practical joke, it was too well executed so far to let it fall apart now. And if it wasn’t a joke—but Davy mentally shook himself and didn’t finish that foolish thought. Hogwarts couldn’t be real. Davy opened the screen door and held out the letter to his father. “I was waiting until after—Mum thought that—you should read this.”

Davy’s mother was now beside her husband. “Please come in,” she said as she wiped her hands on her apron and then pulled it off. Practical joke or not, neighbors had come to call, and she wouldn’t leave them standing outside in the night air.

“Thank you,” said Mrs. Black with a smile. She and her husband followed Mrs. Hollerith through the kitchen into the living room. Davy’s father followed the other adults, a puzzled frown on his face as he read the letter. Davy watched them go and wanted to follow, but he felt as if his feet were rooted in place.

“So, is this the coolest thing that ever happened to you, or the weirdest?” asked the other boy.

“Both, I think,” replied Davy. Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to face the black-haired boy. “Why did your parents name you ‘Serious’?”

“They said that they’ll tell me when I’m older,” and he started to laugh, “but it is appropriate. I love dogs. I have three at home.”

“Dogs?” Davy was thoroughly confused, and it must have shown on his face for the boy laughed again. “It’s spelled S-I-R-I-U-S, like the Dog Star.” Sirius pointed at the sky as he spoke, but didn’t seem to be trying to point to any particular star. Davy still thought it was the strangest name he’d ever heard. He decided that whoever had created this elaborate joke must have invented the strange name as part of the prank. He wondered again who the creator of the joke was.

“OK, who set all this up?” Davy asked.

“Professor McGonagall wrote to my parents and asked them to speak to you and your parents,” Sirius said as if he were telling the truth. Davy remembered that was the name of the fictional Deputy Headmistress in his letter. “She always arranges for people to meet with the muggle-borns and their families, and since we live in the same village, we were the obvious choice.” Sirius, or whatever his real name was, could certainly lie with a straight face.

“Muggle-borns?”

“Muggles are what we call people who aren’t magical. Your parents are muggles, so you’re a muggle-born wizard.”

“Yeah, right,” said Davy with a smile.

“We’d better go inside,” Sirius said as he jerked a thumb toward the door. “You shouldn’t miss seeing my parents proving to your parents that magic is real.”  
Davy led the way. As he reached the living room doorway, he saw a sight that made him stop on the threshold. Mrs. Black was standing in the center of the room, one upraised hand holding a long, thin stick, and several knick-knacks were dancing in the air around her.

“Cool, huh?” said Sirius’s voice over Davy’s shoulder. Davy just nodded. Where were the wires?

“Welcome, boys,” said Mr. Black with a grin. Whoever these people are, this man really is Sirius’s father, Davy thought, the grins are identical. “I was starting to worry that you had gone flying.”

“Flying?” Davy asked in confusion.

“Great idea, Dad!” exclaimed Sirius. He put a hand on Davy’s shoulder. “C’mon, Davy.”

“Forget it, Sirius,” said Mr. Black sharply. “Why don’t you two come sit down.” Davy and Sirius sat together on the piano bench, the only unoccupied seat in the small room.

“What would you like to see, Davy?” Mrs. Black asked as the knick-knacks settled down on the coffee table. Davy shrugged; he had no idea what to say. He looked inquiringly at Sirius.

“Transfigure something, Mum, or, better yet,” his grin grew wider, “let me.” She frowned at Sirius, and Davy wondered why.

“Up, please, boys,” Mrs. Black said as she gestured toward them with the stick. The wand, Davy mentally corrected himself. Sirius moved a few feet away from the bench and Davy decided to stand near him. He wondered what Mrs. Black was going to do and watched her expectantly. She was looking at the piano bench, as was Sirius, so Davy looked at it too. The black bench suddenly shrank down into a black and white cat. The cat looked up at Davy, blinked his yellow eyes, sat down, and began to wash his face.

“A cat, Mum?” Sirius sounded disappointed. Davy heard Mr. Black speak quietly. The cat grew rapidly and become golden-yellow. The lion ceased washing his face and snarled at Davy and Sirius. Davy heard his mother gasp in fear, but he didn’t dare look away from the enormous beast before him.

“Brilliant, Dad,” said Sirius in a pleased tone.

“Show off,” muttered Mrs. Black, but Davy heard amusement in her tone. A moment later, the lion darkened and shrank into a piano bench again. Had it always had clawed feet? Davy couldn’t remember.

Davy suddenly realized that the letter was not a joke; it was a mistake. These people were clearly magical, but he was not. He could never make objects fly around the room or change a piece of furniture into an animal. He must be what Sirius had called a “muggle.” The letter had been sent to him by mistake.

“You can do that too?” he asked Sirius in astonishment.

“Not as much. I’ve only been at Hogwarts for a year so far. But, by the time I graduate, look out!” Sirius laughed. “And you too, Davy. You’ll learn how to do amazing stuff.

Davy wanted to say that there had been a mistake. He looked at Sirius, grinning from ear to ear, at Mr. and Mrs. Black smiling kindly and looking at him expectantly, at his mother, who had a hand over her mouth as she stared at the piano bench with wide eyes, and at his father, who was frowning as he stared at the letter still in his hand.

“But—what’s the point of it all?” Davy’s father asked. “He’ll learn how to do some tricks, but then what? Will he be able to make a living?”

“Of course he will,” Mr. Black replied. “It’s true that Hogwarts won’t prepare him for a muggle—a non-magical profession, but it will prepare him for any number of professions within the magical community.” Sirius interrupted before he could continue.

“Dad, can Davy and I go outside? I’ll tell him about the professors and the houses and stuff.”

Mr. Black nodded and returned his attention to Mr. Hollerith. “It all depends on what kinds of magic Davy is best at and enjoys…” Davy didn’t hear the rest of the adults’ conversation as he followed Sirius outside. Stepping into the darkness gave him the courage he needed to speak.

“Sirius, I—I think there’s been a mistake. I can’t be a—a—“ 

“A wizard?”

“Yeah.” Davy sat on the back step and stared at the grass growing between the flagstones at the base of the step. He wondered which was better, knowing that magic existed, but not for him, or being oblivious to it as he had been this morning.

“C’mon, I want to show you something.” Sirius set off across the lawn toward the trees where Davy had first seen the Blacks. After a moment of surprised hesitation, Davy jumped up and followed. He had to jog to catch up to Sirius’s long strides. Sirius stopped at one tree and grabbed the long stick which was leaning against it. Davy stared in surprise—it was a broom with a twig tail. “Want to go flying, Davy?”

Flying? on a broom? Maybe this was all a joke after all. Davy started to laugh. Sirius seemed to mistake Davy’s laughter for agreement for he carried the broom to the lawn and laid it on the grass.

“OK, Davy, stick your right hand over the broom and say, ‘Up’,” Sirius explained. Davy reluctantly walked over, but balled his hands into fists at his sides. He was afraid that nothing would happen, and suddenly just as afraid that something would.

“It’s OK. We don’t have to fly if you don’t want to. In fact, my parents will probably kill me if I take you flying tonight. Just try to get the broomstick to come up to your hand.”

Davy slowly raised his right arm and uncurled his fingers. “Up,” he said quietly. Nothing happened, of course. He felt his cheeks burning and began to lower his arm. He didn’t dare look at Sirius.

“Try again,” Sirius urged, “but this time, say it like you mean it. No broomstick is going to come to you if you sound afraid of it.”

Davy wondered which thought was more bizarre, that brooms could fly, or that they could tell if you were afraid. He decided that if he was going to play along, he might as well do it right. He held his hand over the broom again.

“Up!” Davy commanded. The broom sprang up from the ground into his hand, and he closed his fingers around it in surprise. He stared first at his fist clutching the polished broom handle and then at Sirius, who was, of course, grinning at him.

“If you were a muggle, that broomstick would still be on the ground. Your parents could yell ‘Up’ at it all day and nothing would happen. You, Davy, are a wizard.”

Suddenly, Davy wanted to go flying very much.


	2. The Slytherins

Davy swung his leg over the back tire of his bicycle and climbed off. He decided to push the bike around to the Blacks’ back garden so he could leave it out of sight of the road. No one else lived this far down Chesterton Road, but it just seemed a sensible precaution. His sneakers and the bike’s tires sank into the spongy ground, damp from last night’s heavy rain. He parked the bike on the back patio, using the kickstand instead of just leaning it against the house as he tended to do at home. The hooting of owls announced his approach to the kitchen door.

This was Davy’s third visit to Sirius’s house since his parents had agreed to let him try Hogwarts for a year. They hadn’t agreed that first night, nor in fact, for several days after. But, somehow, by the time his Uncle Mick’s visit had ended, they had agreed.

This visit was special; today Mrs. Black was taking Davy and Sirius to Diagon Alley to buy their school supplies. Davy felt a strange quivering inside and realized that this was what people called “butterflies in the stomach.”

“Come in, Davy,” Mrs. Black called through the screen door. She was seated at the kitchen table, and as Davy entered, he saw that she was writing on a piece of parchment. Davy looked at the quill in her hand and the inkwell in front of her—the butterflies in his stomach fluttered violently. Davy had tried writing with a quill when he had visited Sirius a few days ago. The parchment had been an illegible mix of half-formed letters and inky blots. He suspected that he would spend much of his first year struggling with this most basic of skills.

Sirius’s five-year old sister, Andie, was sitting on the kitchen floor surrounded by several stuffed animals. A large pink rabbit was, with Andie’s help, reading a picture book to the other animals. “Then the evil princess locked the beautiful witch in the tower…”

“Sirius should be back in a minute. He took the dogs out for a run before they get shut up in the house for the day,” Mrs. Black explained. As soon as he gets back, we can be on our way. Did you remember your school list?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Davy stood by the owl perch and regarded both owls. The brown one glanced at him briefly before ruffling his feathers and closing his eyes. The grey one just stared at him. Davy resisted the urge to stroke her soft feathers. The last time he had done so, she had nipped his finger with her beak. Sirius had said that was proof that Freya liked him, but Davy wasn’t convinced.

Mrs. Black rose from the table, carrying the parchment toward the owls.

“Well, Freya, it’s your turn, isn’t it?” she asked the grey owl. The owl hooted as if in reply. "“Could you bring this to my friend Persis? You do remember where she lives, don’t you?” The owl hooted and stuck out a leg. Davy watched Mrs. Black tie the letter onto Freya’s leg, fascinated. Sirius had told him that the owls were used to carry messages, but he hadn’t seen it done yet.

“Would you open the back door, please, Davy?” Mrs. Black asked. A moment after he did so, he felt a soft stroke of feathers on his cheek as a grey blur passed him. He stood in the doorway and watched the owl disappear into the cloudy sky.

His eyes were drawn down to earth by the sound of barking. He looked to the right and saw Sirius flying low, his feet only a yard above the ground, pursued by three barking and panting dogs. As he neared the house, Sirius pulled up sharply, climbed high into the sky, did a loop, and dove to a halt in front of Davy. He knew that Sirius was showing off, but he couldn’t resist grinning in amazement. Sirius had taught him a few basics of flying on his last two visits (under Mrs. Black’s watchful eyes), but Davy didn’t think he’d ever dare to try that.

“That was brilliant!”

“Thanks! My friend James and I practiced this summer.” Sirius lowered his voice conspiratorially. “He’s better than I am, but if you tell him I said so, I’ll be forced to kill you.” Both boys laughed and accompanied the muddy dogs into the house.

“Sirius, did you have to lead the Cerberus through every mud puddle you could find?” Mrs. Black asked in exasperation. She had her wand in hand and was using a cleansing charm to remove the mud from the dogs, the floor, and Andie.

“Sorry, Mum. You have paw prints on your robe.”

Mrs. Black and Andie were both wearing wizard robes today, Mrs. Black in navy blue and Andie in red. Davy had expected this. Other than the first night he had met them, he had never seen Mr. or Mrs. Black in anything other than robes. He was relieved to see that Sirius was wearing what he called his “muggle clothes,” today a black sweater and jeans, instead of a wizard robe as he had been wearing on Davy’s last visit. Davy had been worried that he’d be the only person in Diagon Alley in muggle clothing. He suspected that Sirius had dressed this way for his benefit, and he was grateful.

While Andie selected which stuffed animal would accompany them (the pink rabbit), Sirius dashed upstairs to get his spending money for Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop.

“You didn’t get your wand while you were upstairs, did you?” Mrs. Black asked as soon as he returned.

“Would I do that, Mum?” He smiled as innocently as he could, but it wasn’t innocent enough. Mrs. Black pointed her wand at her son.

“Accio wand.” The wand hidden under his sweater flew into her hand. “Yes, you would.”

As they stood in front of the large sitting room fireplace, Mrs. Black explained to Davy how to use floo powder. He felt the butterflies flutter again.

“Why don’t you go first, Sirius,” Mrs. Black said. Sirius grabbed a pinch of powder from a bowl on the mantle but paused before throwing it in the fire that his mother had conjured.

“Now where am I going again?” he mused in mock puzzlement. “Diagon Alley or Knockturn Alley?”

“Sirius!” Mrs. Black’s voice carried a note of warning. Sirius laughed, threw the powder into the fire, and spoke in a clear voice.

“Diagon Alley.” He vanished into the green flames.

“Are you ready, Davy?” Davy nodded even thought he didn’t feel ready at all. He took a pinch of powder and threw it into the flames.

“Diagon Alley.”

* * * * *

“All right, dear. Your fitting’s done. Mind the pins while you take off the robe.”

Davy was relieved to be able to move away from the three way mirrors and pull off his new Hogwarts robe. Whenever he looked in the mirrors, he had to fight the urge to laugh. The sandy-haired, freckle-faced boy looking back at him appeared to be wearing a Halloween costume. When Sirius had put a pointed black hat on his head, he had actually giggled.

“The alterations will only take a few minutes. Do you want to wait, or come back later?”

“Um—“ Davy looked over at Mrs. Black. She was examining some child-sized robes for Andie. Sirius leapt up from the floor.

“Mum, can Davy and I go get ice cream while you wait for his robes? That way you and Andie can keep looking,” he said in a rush.

“I want ice cream too!” Andie whined. Sirius gave his mother a pleading look.

“I’ll get you ice cream when we catch up with the boys in few minutes, Sweetie. We need to get you a new robe first.” Mrs. Black handed Sirius some coins saying, “Here’s enough money for both of you.” She then leaned down slightly and stared into his eyes. “You are responsible for Davy today, Sirius, so promise me that you’ll stay out of trouble.”

Sirius nodded solemnly—and then began to giggle. “Of course I’ll stay out of trouble. We’ll meet you at Fortescue’s.” Davy had to run out of the shop to catch up to Sirius, but as he left, he distinctly heard Mrs. Black sigh.

The two boys didn’t get very far before Sirius came to a dead stop in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies. He seemed to be entranced by the two brooms featured in the center of the window display, but Davy’s eyes were drawn to the brightly colored items all around the edges of the window: robes, hats, scarves, even socks, all featuring unusual color combinations and strange insignia.

“Team colors?” he asked Sirius as he gestured toward the items.

“What?” Sirius tore his eyes away from the brooms. “Oh—yeah. See those there, dark-grey and white? Those are the colors of my favorite team, the Falmouth Falcons. Roughest team in the league. James likes the Caerphilly Catapults, red and light-green.”

“I can’t wait to see a game! How many teams are in the league?”

“Thirteen.”

From close behind them, Davy heard a cold voice. “Well, look what we have here, Sirius Black and a mudblood. Teaching the little mudblood about Quidditch, Black?”

Davy didn’t know what a “mudblood” was, but he recognized a hint of danger in the voice. It was the tone of a schoolyard bully. Sirius and he both turned toward the speaker. Davy glimpsed two boys, one with blonde hair, one with brown, both wearing wizard robes. A moment later, Sirius had taken a diagonal step forward, putting himself between Davy and the other two.

“Hello, Rosier. LeStrange. What do you want?” Sirius’s voice was calm, but Davy saw that his hands were clenched into fists. “So rare to see you without your little Gryffindor friends. Didn’t anyone ever teach you that there is safety in numbers?” Over Sirius’s shoulder, Davy saw that the blonde was speaking; the other boy laughed.

“They’re around here somewhere,” Sirius lied.

The brown-haired one shouted, “Hey, Severus! Martin! Come see what we found.”

Davy saw two more boys in wizard robes approaching them from the left. Both of them had their eyes fixed on Sirius. When the newcomers reached them, one stood where Davy had an unimpeded view of him. He was as tall as Sirius, and like Sirius, had black hair. But the sneer of dislike on his face couldn’t be more different from the welcoming smile Davy associated with his new friend.

“Sirius Black, don’t tell me you’ve finally developed the good taste to stop hanging out with Potter,” the black-haired boy said. His voice was just as cold as his friend’s had been. Davy began to feel very nervous.

“His taste now is even worse, Severus,” the blonde one said. “The muggle-lover is hanging around with a mudblood.”

The boy, Severus, looked at Davy for the first time. Their eyes met for a moment, then the boy glanced at his friends and back at Davy again. His brows knit together slightly in a way that reminded Davy of someone trying to solve a puzzle or answer a difficult question. A moment later, the boy’s black eyes returned to Sirius, and the sneer of dislike was firmly back in place.

“I suppose that even a Gryffindor is permitted a pet,” Severus said slowly. “Why don’t you and your pet run back to your mummy and daddy now.” As Severus’s friends laughed at his joke, Davy felt relief. He knew that none of the four would prevent their walking away. They parted to let Sirius and Davy leave. Sirius hesitated briefly, and then led Davy back toward the robe shop. The cruel laughter followed them as they walked in silence.

“I hate this,” Sirius growled when the reached the outside of the shop. He threw his back against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, and a deep scowl on his face. “I hate being sent away with my tail between my legs, especially by Snape.”

“Which one was Snape?”

“The one with greasy black hair.”

“Oh.” Davy was glad that the black-haired boy had sent them away, but he decided not to tell Sirius that. “So what was all that about?”

Sirius was silent for a moment as if thinking about his answer. “Two things. First, remember when I told you about the four houses at Hogwarts?”

“Yeah, but I don’t remember the names.” Davy leaned back against the wall beside Sirius.

“Those four are all in Slytherin. Slytherins and Gryffindors, my house, tend not to like each other very much. It’s a very old feud, and believe me, my friends and I, and Snape and his friends, are keeping the feud alive and well.” Sirius began to smile at this thought.

“And why did they keep calling me a ‘mudblood’?” Davy asked. Sirius scowled again.

“I’m really sorry about that,” Sirius said quietly. “Some witches and wizards—the jerks—don’t like muggles, or witches and wizards with muggle parents. Slytherin is the official house for jerks.”

Davy looked at the shoppers in Diagon Alley with new eyes. He wondered who in this crowd hated him, and he suddenly felt very exposed wearing muggle clothing.

“Do a lot of witches and wizards feel like them? Will a lot of the students at Hogwarts feel like them?”

“No, don’t worry about it, Davy. Most of us have some muggle ancestry. I know there’s some in my mum’s family, somewhere— and my friend Remus, his mum is muggle-born. And even among the wizards who don’t have muggle ancestry, most of them know better than to think like those jerks. My friends James and Peter, for example—you’ll like them, and they’ll like you, you’ll see.”

Just then, Mrs. Black and Andie came out of the shop. Mrs. Black was carrying paper-wrapped parcels and Andie was clutching her rabbit.

“Oh—back already, boys? You certainly ate quickly.”

“Never made it that far, Mum,” Sirius said with a forced smile. Her brow wrinkled with worry.

“Why not?”

“I was too busy staying out of trouble like I promised.”

She looked at each of them quizzically but seemed to choose not to inquire further—yet. Instead, she simply asked, “Should we all go get ice cream together, then?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hmm. Was Snape trying to protect Davy from the other Slytherins? Or was he just trying to annoy Sirius? He wouldn’t tell me; he enjoys being enigmatic. 
> 
> For more information of the professional Quidditch teams of Britain and Ireland, consult _Quidditch Through the Ages_ by Kennilworthy Whisp (aka J.K. Rowling) available in your local bookstore.


	3. The Gryffindors

Freya hooted impatiently. She, for one, was anxious to pass through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾ and be on her way to Hogwarts. Davy’s mother, on the other hand, eyed the barrier nervously as she twisted the strap of her black handbag.

“I don’t know. You say we can get through, but—oh, I do trust you, Maggie,” Davy’s mother assured Mrs. Black, “but, it just looks so—so—“

“Solid?” Mrs. Black said with a laugh. “Why don’t we just say our good-byes to the boys here. It can be tricky to pass through if you don’t really believe you can do it.”

Davy felt the butterflies in his stomach again. He had felt them so often this summer that he almost thought of them as pets. Sirius had told him how easy it was to pass through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10, so the barrier had not made him nervous—at first. However, Sirius had never said that the barrier could be “tricky” if you had doubts. How could he walk into a solid wall and not have doubts about his ability to pass through? This worry nagged at him as he kissed his mother good-bye and turned to watch Sirius disappear through the barrier. Davy hesitated for a moment, and then for another.

“Davy, when you’re nervous, it helps to run at the barrier,” Mrs. Black offered in a kind voice. He nodded but didn’t move. The idea of running into a solid wall was even less appealing than walking into one.

Suddenly, he thought of the broomstick. He had been certain that it would not come up to his hand, yet he had commanded it “Up” anyway, and “Up” it had come. Maybe it wouldn’t matter if he had doubts; maybe he just had to act as if he didn’t. Davy pushed the trolley carrying his trunk to within a few feet of the barrier, shut his eyes, and walked forward.

“I told you it was easy,” said Sirius’s voice. Davy opened his eyes to see Sirius waiting for him a short distance ahead. “C’mon. Let’s go find my friends. We all agreed to meet near the back of the train.”

As they pushed their trolleys down the length of the platform, Davy gazed around in amazement. The train itself was bright red and had the shine of fresh polish; it reminded Davy of a train in a child’s picture book. Knots of people stood here and there: students saying good-bye to their parents, students searching for their friends, adults greeting their old friends, and cats and owls everywhere.

After his experience in Diagon Alley, Davy was relieved to see that almost everyone was wearing muggle clothing. Sirius had assured him that it would be this way. They were expected to try to “blend in” as they walked through King’s Cross Station. Of course, some people were better at “blending in” than others. A man wearing a well-tailored pinstripe suit together with a magenta top hat and pointed magenta boots caught his eye, as did a man wearing plaid flannel pajamas and a pair of cowboy boots.

The crowd was thick and difficult to navigate through.

“Would you mind waiting here with our stuff?” Sirius suddenly asked. “I’ll dash around and find my friends.”

“All right, “ Davy said with a nod, and Sirius disappeared into the crowd. Freya hooted and swiveled her head around to stare at him. “Don’t worry, Freya. We’ll get on the train soon.”

Davy observed the crowd again. He wondered which students were his fellow first years. He decided that a girl near him with her blonde hair in a long braid must be. Her eyes were wide as she looked around, and her knuckles were white as she tightly clutched the handle of her cat’s basket. He hoped that he didn’t look as nervous as she did.

Then he saw them. The black-haired boy from Diagon Alley and two of his friends were walking straight toward him. The other two were talking to each other and hadn’t noticed him, but the black-haired boy, Severus Snape, was looking directly at him. Davy had no doubt that he had been recognized.

To Davy’s immense surprise, and relief, Snape didn’t say a word as he passed by. But the moment of relief was short lived. Sirius and a boy wearing glasses, running through the crowd, came to a sudden halt in front of the three Slytherins.

“Potter and Black. So glad to see that the romance is alive and well,” Snape sneered. “We were worried when we saw Black in Diagon Alley without you, Potter.”   
The other two laughed cruelly, and then the blonde one spoke.

“Where’s your little mudblood pet, Black? Did he get smart and stay home where he belongs?”

“No,” Snape said coolly, “he’s standing behind you, Evan.”

When the Slytherins turned to look at him, Davy saw that they were both holding their wands. A wave of ice water flooded through him. He tore his eyes away from the wands to look at Sirius. Sirius and his friend were holding theirs as well.

“Not here,” Snape hissed at his friends. Then he spoke to Sirius and the other boy. “See you on the train.”

The incident wasn’t discussed while the three set off to load the luggage onto the train. Sirius introduced the other boy as James, and Davy smiled remembering what Sirius had said about James’s flying skills. He wondered if James’s hair was always so messy, or if he had been flying that morning.

When they drew near their chosen compartment, Davy saw two boys and four adults watching their approach with smiles. While James carried Freya’s cage on board, and two of the adults levitated the trunks on board, Sirius made quick introductions all around.

“Everyone, this is Davy Hollerith, the first year student from my village that I told you about. Davy, this is Remus and his mother, Mrs. Lupin. This is Peter and his mother, Mrs. Pettigrew. Those are James’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, just coming back off the train.

“Where’s your family, Sirius?” Mrs. Potter asked.

“Dad got called into the office on some emergency, and Mum and Andie stayed back on Platform 9 with Davy’s mother. We all came to London together in Mrs. Hollerith’s car.”

Davy noted that none of them seemed surprised or bothered by the fact that his mother hadn’t wanted to some onto Platform 9 ¾, or that she drove a car. He also noted that James was the only one of them with both parents present. This made him feel better. He had been disappointed that his father had said that he would be too busy with work and wouldn’t be able to see him off on the train, but obviously his dad wasn’t the only one who was busy—although his dad was certainly the only one of this group fixing cars today.

He listened as the parents gave their parting advice to their sons.

“Please study harder this year, Peter. Your father and I are certain you can get better grades if you just apply yourself.”

“…and a few less detentions, please, James. Honestly, I think Professor McGonagall must have an owl reserved just to send letters to your father and me.”

“Good luck with Quidditch tryouts, Son.”

Davy looked over at Remus and his mother, but they had moved away from the others and were speaking softly.

Before he knew it, he and the other four boys were all in their compartment, and the Hogwarts Express was under way.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters, Davy?” Remus asked.

“An older sister, Lizzie. She got married last year, so now it’s just Mum and Dad and I at home.”

“My two brothers are a lot older than me, too,” Peter said. “They already graduated from Hogwarts.”

“Remus and I are only children,” added James.

“You said that just your mother brought you here today?” Peter asked. Davy nodded, wondering where he was leading. “Let me guess. Your father said something like, ‘Why should I take a morning off from work when I can say good-bye just as well at home.’ “ 

Davy felt his cheeks burn, and he looked at Peter’s shoes while he nodded.

“That’s what my father used to say when my mother asked him to go with us to see my brothers off on the train. Now she doesn’t even ask anymore.”

“Muggle fathers, wizard fathers, not so different,” mused Remus.

“Well,” said Sirius, dispelling the slight tension with a laugh, “let’s give Mr. Potter an award for actually making it to the train today.”

“We can send him a Hogwarts toilet seat,” chuckled James. “Mum will pretend to be furious, and he’ll think it’s hysterical.” Sirius and Peter laughed with James while Remus and Davy grinned.

“Is your dad at work too?” Davy asked Remus—and immediately regretted the question as the laughter died abruptly.

“No idea,” Remus said with a shrug. “I haven’t seen him since I was seven.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” mumbled Davy. He felt his cheeks burning again.

“Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t bother me,” Remus said calmly. He looked around at his now silent friends. “Honestly, guys. Mum and I are fine without him. It’s hardly the biggest problem in my life.” He had said the last sentence with a slight frown, but now he smiled at his friends again. “Getting through Potions without poisoning myself is much more important.”

“Speaking of poison,” Sirius said as a wicked grin spread over his face, “I know of a few venomous snakes who need to be dealt with.”

“We had a little run in with our favorite Slytherins on the platform,” James explained to Remus and Peter.

“And in Diagon Alley,” Sirius added. “Snape and his crowd were giving Davy a hard time for being muggle-born.”

“And they were giving you a hard time for having a romance with me,” James sighed as he fluttered his eyelashes at Sirius. James and Peter fell into a fit of giggles, but Sirius just stared at James and said solemnly,

“I’m sorry, James. You’re my best friend, but romance is out of the question.” He then threw an arm around the shoulders of Remus, who was sitting beside him. “My heart already belongs to Remus.”

“Oh, please,” said Remus, shoving Sirius away, “that’s all I need, a reputation as Sirius Black’s boyfriend.” Remus shook his head with a wry smile as the other four boys laughed.

When Sirius finally stopped laughing, he stood up and pulled out his wand. “OK. Who wants to go reptile hunting?” James was immediately on his feet.

“I’ll come if you want, guys,” Peter said hesitantly, “but you know I won’t be much help in a duel.”

“You can draw their fire away from us,” James said grinning. Sirius snorted with a suppressed laugh.

“Peter, we need you here to stay with Davy,” Remus said. He glared at James.

“You’re coming then, Remus?” James asked.

“If you two are determined to go, of course I’ll go. Neither of you can block a curse yet. But—”

“Uh-oh, the voice of reason,” Sirius muttered.

“If you go after Snape today, he’ll know that he struck a nerve with you by harassing Davy. And trust me, it is not a good idea to let Snape know what your vulnerabilities are.”

“I don’t care, Remus,” Sirius said as he moved toward the door.

“Yes, but what about Davy?” Remus asked calmly. “If Snape figures out that harassing Davy is an easy way to annoy you, he could make Davy’s life hell. Why do you think he picks on Peter and me? He knows that it drives you and James nuts.” Peter began nodding in agreement. 

This partially explained Snape’s earlier behavior to Davy. “He ignored me on the platform until you arrived, Sirius,” Davy said.

“See what I mean?” Remus asked.

Sirius scowled the same way he had in Diagon Alley. He obviously wanted to fight, but was realizing that he couldn’t, again. James was frowning too.

“We can’t let the Slytherins get away with calling someone a ‘mudblood’,” James murmured, but he sat back down. “So, what do we do, O Great Levelheaded One?”

“Wait a day or two,” Remus explained. “Then the very next time Snape makes some snarky comment about anything else, and he will, it’s open season on snakes. Besides, it will give us time to plan a truly nasty prank.”

Sirius returned to his seat and put his arm around Remus’s shoulders again. “You’re so devious. No wonder I love you, Remus.” The laughter lasted several minutes this time.

As the afternoon wore on, Davy observed his traveling companions. He knew he’d be very fortunate if he made friends at Hogwarts who suited him as well as Sirius’s friends suited Sirius, but that didn’t mean that he wanted friends exactly like these. Davy didn’t want to spend the next seven years in the middle of a feud, whereas his companions seemed to enjoy the excitement. Davy just wanted to get along with people and focus on his studies.

During a lull in the conversation, Davy asked, “What are the other two houses like? I think I’ve gotten a clear picture of Gryffindor and Slytherin.”

“The Ravenclaws are usually smart and studious,” Sirius said, “hard to get their noses out of their books—like you, Darling.” He smiled at Remus as James snorted.

Remus ignored the “Darling” and calmly stated, “Well, both of my parents were in Ravenclaw. Besides, I have to work hard so I won’t fall behind when I’m absent.”

Davy wondered if Remus was absent often, but James spoke before he could consider asking.

“The Hufflepuffs are nice. They try to get along with everyone.”

“They get crushed in Quidditch, though,” Sirius added.

“Quidditch isn’t that important,” Remus muttered. Sirius and James both gasped in mock horror.

“That’s it, Remus! I’m breaking up with you!” Sirius exclaimed.

“Thank you,” Remus sighed.

Davy wanted to steer the conversation back to the houses. “How do they decide which house to put you in?” he asked.

“We aren’t allowed to tell you,” Sirius said, “but it’s nothing to worry about.”

“My mum called it ‘a delightful surprise’ and had me very worried,” Remus said with a smile.

“One of my older brothers kept hinting that it was painful,” Peter said, and then added quickly, “but it isn’t.”

“I’ll tell you this much,” James said, “you’ll end up in the house that really reflects who you are inside, and then you’ll be surrounded by others who are similar to you. You’re bound to make lots of friends.”

Davy nodded. James had answered the questions he hadn’t asked, but had wanted the answers to.

“As long as you don’t end up in Slytherin,” Peter said.

“Oh, yeah, like that would happen,” Sirius said sarcastically.

“You can always veto a house,” Remus offered.

“No you can’t—you can?” James sounded genuinely surprised.

Remus started to blush and murmured, “Well, only if it’s slow to decide with you, I guess, otherwise there isn’t time.” Remus looked out the window as if avoiding the eyes of the others.

Sirius began to laugh. “You did, didn’t you? You vetoed a house. Which one? And if you say Slytherin—“

Remus said nothing.

“Oh God, it was, wasn’t it?” Sirius looked shocked for a moment and then resumed laughing.

“What other secrets are you hiding, Remus?” James asked with a grin.

“Just toss me another chocolate frog and shut up,” Remus grumbled.

* * * * * *

“Greenleaf, Jane.” 

Davy looked nervously out at the four long tables in the Great Hall. Any moment now he would hear his name and learn which table would be his.

“RAVENCLAW!” 

The second table from the left exploded into cheers. Every time this happened, it gave Davy a bit more courage. No matter what the Sorting Hat said, he knew that he would be welcomed—quite noisily.

“Harcourt, Sylvia.”

The dark-haired girl beside him stepped forward slowly. Fear radiated from her.

“Good luck,” Davy whispered.

She sat on the stool carefully, as if afraid that she would break it. As she put the hat on her head, just before it slipped over her eyes, Davy saw her glance in the direction of the Slytherin table. He wondered if she was afraid of the Slytherins too.

“SLYTHERIN!”

Relief and joy lit her face as she pulled off the Sorting Hat and hurried to join her new house. Apparently not afraid of Slytherin, afraid of not getting into Slytherin.

“Hollerith, David.”

Davy took a deep breath and walked forward. He glanced at the table on the far left, to where he had already spotted Sirius and his friends. He saw that they were all smiling at him. Somehow, this made him more nervous. Sirius had been a good friend to him all summer, and Davy didn’t want to disappoint him. He put the old and fragile hat onto his head carefully and waited.

“A loyal friend and a hard worker,” said a voice in his ear. “It’s clear that you belong in HUFFLEPUFF!”

The table on the far right exploded into cheers this time. Davy looked happily at them as he pulled off the hat. He realized that cheers were coming from the left as well. Sirius and his friends were cheering for him. He knew then that he hadn’t disappointed Sirius. He flashed a smile of gratitude at them and then hurried off to join his new house.

Davy Hollerith of Hufflepuff, he thought, it has a nice ring to it.

 

—Written June 2002

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About Remus: In my mind, Remus’s friends realize that he is a werewolf early in their second year. So, in this story, they don’t know yet—but soon will. The idea that Remus’s father abandoned Remus and his mother comes originally from Moon’s “Cub Scout.” In that story, Mr. Lupin not long after Remus was bitten—the first of many rejections for our poor Remus. And why do I say what I do about Remus and the Sorting Hat? He was the very first werewolf that the Hat ever had to sort, so we can forgive it for being a bit confused about where he belongs. 
> 
> Are Davy’s troubles with bigots over? You can make an educated guess—or go read “Black Shadow.”


End file.
